1920s Chicago Baseball Star in Action

This photograph captures Oscar Happy Felsch, a professional baseball player known for his time with the Chicago White Sox, circa 1920. Felsch was part of the infamous 1919 Black Sox team, which became a focal point in baseball history due to the scandal involving players deliberately losing the World Series. His nickname, Happy, belied the serious controversies that surrounded his career, highlighting a complex figure in the annals of early 20th-century baseball.

Taken by the Bain News Service, this image is a glass negative, reflecting the photographic techniques of the time. Glass negatives were a popular medium for professional photographers due to their clarity and detail. The original information accompanying the photograph was recorded by Bain News Service, a company known for documenting American life and sports during the early 1900s. This photograph serves not just as a glimpse of Felschs face but as a reminder of the tumultuous era in baseball history that challenged the integrity of Americas pastime.